ab133039 – Cyclic AMP ELISA Kit Instructions for Use For quantitative detection of Cyclic AMP in Saliva, Serum and Cell Culture Supernatants. This product is for research use only and is not intended for diagnostic use. Version 3 Last Updated 3 August 2015 Table of Contents INTRODUCTION 1. BACKGROUND 2. ASSAY SUMMARY 2 3 GENERAL INFORMATION 3. PRECAUTIONS 4. STORAGE AND STABILITY 5. MATERIALS SUPPLIED 6. MATERIALS REQUIRED, NOT SUPPLIED 7. LIMITATIONS 8. TECHNICAL HINTS 4 5 5 6 6 7 ASSAY PREPARATION 9. REAGENT PREPARATION 10. STANDARD PREPARATIONS – NON-ACETYLATED FORMAT 11. STANDARD PREPARATIONS –ACETYLATED FORMAT 12. SAMPLE COLLECTION AND STORAGE 13. PLATE PREPARATION 8 9 11 13 14 ASSAY PROCEDURE 14. ASSAY PROCEDURE 15 DATA ANALYSIS 15. CALCULATIONS 16. TYPICAL DATA 17. TYPICAL SAMPLE VALUES 18. ASSAY SPECIFICITY 17 18 20 23 RESOURCES 19. TROUBLESHOOTING 20. NOTES 24 25 Discover more at www.abcam.com 1 INTRODUCTION 1. BACKGROUND Abcam’s Cyclic AMP in vitro competitive ELISA (Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay) is a colorimetric competitive enzyme immunoassay kit for the quantitative determination of extracellular cAMP. A goat anti-rabbit IgG antibody has been precoated onto 96-well plates. Standards or test samples are added to the wells, along with an alkaline phosphatase (AP) conjugated-cAMP antigen and a polyclonal rabbit antibody specific to cAMP. After incubation the excess reagents are washed away. pNpp substrate is added and after a short incubation the enzyme reaction is stopped and the yellow color generated is read at 405 nm. The intensity of the yellow coloration is inversely proportional to the amount of cAMP captured in the plate. Adenosine 3’, 5’‐cyclic monophosphate (cyclic AMP) is one of the most important “second messengers” involved as a modulator of physiological processes. Cyclic AMP is also involved in regulating neuronal, glandular, cardiovascular, immune and other functions. A number of hormones are known to activate Cyclic AMP through the action of the enzyme adenylate cyclase which converts ATP to Cyclic AMP. These hormones include a variety of anterior pituitary peptide hormones such as corticotrophin (ACTH), glucagon, calcitonin, thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), and luteinizing hormone (LH). Because Cyclic AMP has been shown to be involved in the cardiovascular and nervous systems, immune mechanisms, cell growth and differentiation, and general metabolism, there remains considerable interest in the measurement of intracellular Cyclic AMP in tissues and cell cultures. The investigation of Cyclic AMP may help to provide a clearer understanding of the physiology and pathology of many disease states. Discover more at www.abcam.com 2 INTRODUCTION 2. ASSAY SUMMARY Prepare all reagents and samples as instructed. Add standards and samples to appropriate wells. Add prepared labeled AP-conjugate to appropriate wells. Add Cyclic AMP antibody to appropriate wells. Incubate at room temperature. Add pNpp substrate to each well. Incubate at room temperature. Add Stop Solution to each well. Read immediately. Discover more at www.abcam.com 3 GENERAL INFORMATION 3. PRECAUTIONS Please read these instructions carefully prior to beginning the assay. All kit components have been formulated and quality control tested to function successfully as a kit. Modifications to the kit components or procedures may result in loss of performance Some kit components contain azide, which may react with lead or copper plumbing. When disposing of reagents always flush with large volumes of water to prevent azide build-up Stop Solution is a solution of trisodium phosphate. This solution is caustic; care should be taken in use The activity of the alkaline phosphatase conjugate is dependent on the presence of Mg2+ and Zn2+ ions. The activity of the conjugate is affected by concentrations of chelators (>10 mM) such as EDTA and EGTA We test this kit’s performance with a variety of samples, however it is possible that high levels of interfering substances may cause variation in assay results Discover more at www.abcam.com 4 GENERAL INFORMATION 4. STORAGE AND STABILITY Store kit at +4°C immediately upon receipt, apart from the AP Conjugate & Standard, which should be stored at -20°C. Avoid multiple freeze-thaw cycles. Refer to list of materials supplied for storage conditions of individual components. 5. MATERIALS SUPPLIED Goat anti-rabbit IgG Microplate (12 x 8 wells) 96 Wells Storage Condition (Before Preparation) +4ºC Cyclic AMP Alkaline Phosphatase Conjugate 5 mL -20ºC Cyclic AMP Antibody 5 mL +4ºC Cyclic AMP Standard 500 µL -20ºC 20X Wash Buffer Concentrate 27 mL +4ºC pNpp Substrate 20 mL +4ºC Stop Solution 5 mL +4ºC Acetylation kit - Triethylamine 2 mL +4ºC Acetylation kit - Acetic Anhydride 1 mL +4ºC Assay Buffer 2 27 mL +4ºC Item Discover more at www.abcam.com Amount 5 GENERAL INFORMATION 6. MATERIALS REQUIRED, NOT SUPPLIED These materials are not included in the kit, but will be required to successfully utilize this assay: Standard microplate reader - capable of reading at 405 nm, preferably with correction between 570 and 590 nm. Automated plate washer (optional) Adjustable pipettes and pipette tips. Multichannel pipettes are recommended when large sample sets are being analyzed Eppendorf tubes Microplate Shaker Absorbent paper for blotting Triton X‐100 (optional for sample preparation) Optional (for tissue samples): Liquid nitrogen, mortar & pestle, and concentrated HCl 7. LIMITATIONS Assay kit intended for research use only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures Do not mix or substitute reagents or materials from other kit lots or vendors. Kits are QC tested as a set of components and performance cannot be guaranteed if utilized separately or substituted Discover more at www.abcam.com 6 GENERAL INFORMATION 8. TECHNICAL HINTS Standards can be made up in either glass or plastic tubes Pre-rinse the pipette tip with the reagent, use fresh pipette tips for each sample, standard and reagent Pipette standards and samples to the bottom of the wells Add the reagents to the side of the well to avoid contamination This kit uses break-apart microtiter strips, which allow the user to measure as many samples as desired. Unused wells must be kept desiccated at 4°C in the sealed bag provided. The wells should be used in the frame provided Care must be taken to minimize contamination by endogenous alkaline phosphatase. Contaminating alkaline phosphatase activity, especially in the substrate solution, may lead to high blanks. Care should be taken not to touch pipet tips and other items that are used in the assay with bare hands Prior to addition of substrate, ensure that there is no residual wash buffer in the wells. Any remaining wash buffer may cause variation in assay results This kit is sold based on number of tests. A ‘test’ simply refers to a single assay well. The number of wells that contain sample, control or standard will vary by product. Review the protocol completely to confirm this kit meets your requirements. Please contact our Technical Support staff with any questions Discover more at www.abcam.com 7 ASSAY PREPARATION 9. REAGENT PREPARATION Equilibrate all reagents and samples to room temperature (18 - 25°C) prior to use. 9.1 Cyclic AMP Alkaline Phosphatase Conjugate Allow the Cyclic AMP Alkaline Phosphatase Conjugate to warm to room temperature. Any unused conjugate should be aliquoted and re-frozen at or below -20°C. 9.2 1X Wash Buffer Prepare the 1X Wash Buffer by diluting 5 mL of the 20X Wash Buffer Concentrate in 95 mL of deionized water. Mix thoroughly and gently. 9.3 Acetylation Reagent (optional) Prepare the Acetylating Reagent by adding 500 µL of Acetic Anhydride to 1 mL of Triethylamine. Note that this volume is sufficient to add to 30 mL of diluted standards and samples. Use the prepared reagent within 60 minutes of preparation. Discard any unused portion of the Acetylating Reagent. Discover more at www.abcam.com 8 ASSAY PREPARATION 10. STANDARD PREPARATIONS – NON-ACETYLATED FORMAT Prepare serially diluted standards immediately prior to use. Always prepare a fresh set of standards for every use. Diluted standards should be used within 60 minutes of preparation. 10.1 For: 10.1.1 Serum/saliva samples: dilute the Cyclic AMP standards Assay Buffer 2. 10.1.2 Culture Supernatants samples: dilute the Cyclic AMP standards with the same non-conditioned media as the samples 10.2 Allow the 2,000 pmol/mL Cyclic AMP Stock Standard solution to warm to room temperature. The standard solution should be stored at -20°C. Avoid repeated freeze-thaw cycles. 10.3 Label five tubes with numbers #1 – #5. 10.4 Add 900 µL appropriate diluent (Assay Buffer or Tissue Culture Media) to tube #1. 10.5 Add 750 µL appropriate diluent to tubes #2 through #7 10.6 Prepare a 200 pmol/mL Standard 1 by adding 100 μL of 2,000 pmol/mL Stock Standard into tube 1. Vortex thoroughly. 10.7 Prepare Standard 2 by transferring 250 μL from Standard 1 to tube 2. Vortex thoroughly. 10.8 Prepare Standard 3 by transferring 250 μL from Standard 2 to tube 3. Vortex thoroughly. 10.9 Using the table below as a guide, repeat for tubes 4 and 5. Discover more at www.abcam.com 9 ASSAY PREPARATION Standard Sample to Dilute 1 2 3 4 5 Stock Standard 1 Standard 2 Standard 3 Standard 4 Volume to Dilute (µL) 100 250 250 250 250 Discover more at www.abcam.com Volume of Diluent (µL) 900 750 750 750 750 Starting Conc. (pmol/mL) Final Conc. (pmol/mL) 2,000 200 50 12.5 3.13 200 50 12.5 3.13 0.78 10 ASSAY PREPARATION 11. STANDARD PREPARATIONS –ACETYLATED FORMAT (optional) Prepare serially diluted standards immediately prior to use. Always prepare a fresh set of standards for every use. Diluted standards should be used within 60 minutes of preparation. 11.1 For: 11.1.1 Serum/saliva samples: dilute the Cyclic AMP standards Assay Buffer 2. 11.1.2 Culture Supernatants samples: dilute the Cyclic AMP standards with the same non-conditioned media as the samples 11.2 Allow the 2,000 pmol/mL Cyclic AMP Stock Standard solution to warm to room temperature. The standard solution should be stored at -20°C. Avoid repeated freeze-thaw cycles. 11.3 Label five tubes with numbers #1 – #5. 11.4 Add 990 µL of appropriate diluent (Assay Buffer or Tissue Culture Media) to tube #1. 11.5 Add 750 µL of appropriate diluent to tubes #2 through #7. 11.6 Prepare a 20 pmol/mL Standard 1 by adding 10 μL of 2,000 pmol/mL Stock Standard tube 1. Vortex thoroughly. 11.7 Prepare Standard 2 by transferring 250 μL from Standard 1 to tube 2. Vortex thoroughly. 11.8 Prepare Standard 3 by transferring 250 μL from Standard 2 to tube 3. Vortex thoroughly. 11.9 Using the table below as a guide, repeat for tubes 4 and 5. 11.10 Acetylate all standards by adding 10 μL of the Acetylating Reagent for each 200 μL of the standard. Add the Acetylating Reagent directly to the diluted standard or sample and vortex immediately after the addition of the Acetylating Reagent. Discover more at www.abcam.com 11 ASSAY PREPARATION NOTE: If acetylating standards, then samples must be acetylated in the same format by adding 10 μL of the Acetylating Reagent for each 200 μL of the sample. 11.11 Add 1 mL of 0.1M HCl into the B0 tube, followed by 50 μL of the Acetylating Reagent. Use in steps 13.3 and 13.4 of the Assay Procedure. Standard Sample to Dilute 1 2 3 4 5 Standard Standard 1 Standard 2 Standard 3 Standard 4 Volume to Dilute (µL) 10 250 250 250 250 Discover more at www.abcam.com Volume of Diluent (µL) 990 750 750 750 750 Starting Conc. (pmol/mL) Final Conc. (pmol/mL) 2,000 20 5 1.25 0.312 20 5 1.25 0.312 0.078 12 ASSAY PREPARATION 12. SAMPLE COLLECTION AND STORAGE Samples must be stored frozen or below -20°C to avoid loss of bioactive analyte. Avoid repeated freeze-thaw cycles Samples containing rabbit IgG will interfere with the assay. EDTA plasma may precipitate during acetylation Biological fluids, such as serum and saliva, should be diluted in Assay Buffer 2 and run directly in the assay. A minimum 1:10 dilution is required for serum and a 1:4 dilution for saliva. These are the minimum dilutions required to remove matrix interference of these samples Culture supernatants may be run directly in the assay provided the same non‐conditioned media is used as the standard diluent Please note that some samples may contain high levels of Cyclic AMP and additional dilution may be required. Samples with low levels of Cyclic AMP may be assayed in the acetylated format or the samples may be concentrated If acetylating standards, then samples must be acetylated in the same format by adding 10 μL of the Acetylating Reagent for each 200 μL of the sample Discover more at www.abcam.com 13 ASSAY PREPARATION 13. PLATE PREPARATION The 96 well plate strips included with this kit are supplied ready to use. It is not necessary to rinse the plate prior to adding reagents Unused well strips should be returned to the plate packet and stored at +4°C For each assay performed, a minimum of 2 wells must be used as blanks, omitting primary antibody from well additions For statistical reasons, we recommend each sample should be assayed with a minimum of two replicates (duplicates) Well effects have not been observed with this assay 1 2 3 4 A Bs Std 1 Std 5 Sample 4 B Bs Std 1 Std 5 Sample 4 C TA Std 2 Sample 1 etc D TA Std 2 Sample 1 etc E NSB Std 3 Sample 2 F NSB Std 3 Sample 2 G B0 Std 4 Sample 3 H B0 Std 4 Sample 3 Plate layout shows controls, blanks and standards required for each assay. Use additional strips of wells to assay all your samples. Key: Bs = Blank; contains substrate only. TA = Total Activity; contains conjugate (5 µL) and substrate. NSB = Non-specific binding; contains standard diluent, assay buffer, conjugate and substrate. B0 = 0 pg/mL standard; contains standard diluent, conjugate, antibody and substrate Discover more at www.abcam.com 14 ASSAY PROCEDURE 14. ASSAY PROCEDURE Equilibrate all materials and prepared reagents to room temperature prior to use It is recommended to assay all standards, controls and samples in duplicate Refer to the recommended plate layout in Section 12 before proceeding with the assay If the acetylated format of the assay is to be run, all standards, samples, and the diluent for the NSB and Bo wells must be acetylated as per the instructions in the Reagent Preparation section. Acetylated standards and samples must be used within 30 minutes. 13.1 Add 150 µL appropriate diluent* into the NSB (non-specific binding) wells. (*Use the same diluent used to prepare standards in section 10, either Assay Buffer or Tissue Culture Media). 13.2 Add 100 µL appropriate diluent (Assay Buffer or tissue culture media) into the B0 (0 pg/mL standard) wells 13.3 Add 100 µL of prepared standards and 100 µL diluted samples to appropriate wells. 13.4 Add 50 μL of the Cyclic AMP Alkaline Phosphatase Conjugate (blue) into NSB, B0, standard and sample wells, i.e. not the Total Activity (TA) and Bs wells. 13.5 Add 50 μL of the Cyclic AMP Antibody (yellow) into B0, standard and sample wells, i.e. not Bs, TA and NSB wells NOTE: Every well used should be green in color except the NSB wells which should be blue. The B0 and TA wells are empty at this point and have no color. 13.6 Incubate the plate at room temperature on a plate shaker for 2 hours at ~500 rpm. The plate may be covered with the plate sealer provided. 13.7 Empty the contents of the wells and wash by adding 200 µL of 1X Wash Buffer to every well. Repeat the wash Discover more at www.abcam.com 15 ASSAY PROCEDURE 2 more times for a total of 3 washes. After the final wash, empty or aspirate the wells, and firmly tap the plate on a lint free paper towel to remove any remaining wash buffer. 13.8 Add 5 μL of the Cyclic AMP Alkaline Phosphatase Conjugate to the TA wells. 13.9 Add 200 μL of the pNpp Substrate solution to every well. Incubate at room temperature for 1 hour without shaking. 13.10 Add 50 μL Stop Solution into each well. The plate should be read immediately. 13.11 Blank the plate reader against the blank wells, read the O.D. absorbance at 405 nm, preferably with correction between 570 and 590 nm. If the plate reader is not able to be blanked against the blank wells, manually subtract the mean optical density of the blank wells from all readings. Discover more at www.abcam.com 16 DATA ANALYSIS 15. CALCULATIONS 14.1 Calculate the average net absorbance measurement (Average Net OD) for each standard and sample by subtracting the average NSB absorbance measurement from the average absorbance measurement (Average OD) for each standard and sample. Average Net OD = Average Bound OD - Average NSB OD 14.2 Calculate the binding of each pair of standard wells as a percentage of the maximum binding wells (Bo), using the following formula Percent Bound = Average Net OD x 100 Average Net B0 OD 14.3 Plot the Percent Bound (B/B0) and the net OD versus concentration of Cyclic AMP for the standards. The concentration of Cyclic AMP in the unknowns can be determined by interpolation of net OD values. A four parameter algorithm (4PL) provides the best fit, though other equations can be examined to see which provides the most accurate (e.g. linear, semi-log, log/log, 4 parameter logistic). Interpolate protein concentrations for unknown samples from the standard curve plotted. Samples producing signals greater than that of the highest standard should be further diluted and reanalyzed, then multiplying the concentration found by the appropriate dilution factor. Discover more at www.abcam.com 17 DATA ANALYSIS 16. TYPICAL DATA TYPICAL STANDARD CURVE – Data provided for demonstration purposes only. A new standard curve must be generated for each assay performed. Non-Acetylated: Bs Mean OD (Bs) (0.086) TA 0.454 NSB 0.001 0.18 Standard 1 0.028 5.1 Standard 2 0.071 13.1 50 Standard 3 0.173 31.8 12.5 Standard 4 0.334 61.5 3.125 Standard 5 0.479 88.2 0.781 B0 0.543 100 0 Unknown 1 0.135 24.8 18.93 Unknown 2 0.357 65.8 2.57 Sample Discover more at www.abcam.com Percent Bound (%) cAMP (pmol/mL) 200 18 DATA ANALYSIS Acetylated: Bs Mean OD (-Bs) (0.093) TA 0.463 NSB -0.003 -0.87 Standard 1 0.036 8 Standard 2 0.084 18.9 5 Standard 3 0.199 44.7 1.25 Standard 4 0.323 72.5 0.3125 Standard 5 0.424 95.3 0.0781 B0 0.445 100 0 Unknown 1 0.059 13.3 9.2 Unknown 2 0.143 32 2.27 Sample Discover more at www.abcam.com Percent Bound (%) cAMP (pmol/mL) 20 19 DATA ANALYSIS 17. TYPICAL SAMPLE VALUES SENSITIVITY – The sensitivity, minimum detectable dose of Cyclic AMP using this Abcam ELISA kit was measured at 2 standard deviations from the mean of 16 zeros along the standard curve, and was determined to be 0.30 pmol/mL in the non‐acetylated assay format and 0.039 pmol/mL in the acetylated assay format. SAMPLE RECOVERY – Recovery was determined by Cyclic AMP into tissue culture media, human saliva, and serum. Mean recoveries are as follows: Non-Acetylated Format: Sample Type Average % Recovery Recommended Dilution Tissue Culture Media Human Serum Human Saliva 96.2 101.5 103.2 None 1:10 1:4 Sample Type Average % Recovery Recommended Dilution Tissue Culture Media 101.2 None Human Serum 117.8 1:64 Human Saliva 94.9 1:4 Acetylated Format: Discover more at www.abcam.com 20 DATA ANALYSIS LINEARITY OF DILUTION – A buffer sample containing cAMP was serially diluted 1:2 in the kit assay buffer and measured in the assay. The results are shown in the table below. Non-Acetylated: Dilution Expected (pmol/mL) Observed (pmol/mL) Recovery (%) Neat - 49.2 - 1:2 24.6 23.1 94 1:4 12.3 13.7 112 1:8 6.15 6.9 112 1:16 3.07 3.4 111 Dilution Expected (pmol/mL) Observed pmol/mL) Recovery (%) Neat - 5.42 - 1:2 2.71 2.86 106 1:4 1.36 1.23 91 1:8 0.68 0.51 75 1:16 0.34 0.28 83 Acetylated: Discover more at www.abcam.com 21 DATA ANALYSIS PRECISION – Intra‐assay precision was determined by assaying 20 replicates of three 0.1M HCl controls containing Cyclic AMP in a single assay. Inter‐assay precision was determined by measuring 0.1M HCl controls of varying Cyclic AMP concentrations in multiple assays over several days. Non-Acetylated Format: Intra-Assay pmol/mL 1.18 5.96 18.6 %CV 10.5 2.5 2.9 pmol/mL 1.13 4.95 19.18 %CV 13.7 11.2 8.4 Inter-Assay Acetylated Format: Intra-Assay pmol/mL 0.40 0.90 5.58 %CV 7.4 6.8 7.7 pmol/mL 0.46 0.98 4.75 %CV 11.2 11.2 7.9 Inter-Assay Discover more at www.abcam.com 22 DATA ANALYSIS 18. ASSAY SPECIFICITY CROSS REACTIVITY – The cross reactivities for a number of related compounds were determined by diluting the cross reactants in the kit assay buffer at a concentration of ten times the high standard. These samples were then measured in the assay: Cyclic AMP 100 % AMP <0.33 % ATP <0.12 % cGMP <0.001 % GMP <0.001 % GTP <0.001 % cUMP <0.001 % CTP <0.001 % Discover more at www.abcam.com 23 RESOURCES 19. TROUBLESHOOTING Problem Poor standard curve Low Signal Samples give higher value than the highest standard Cause Solution Inaccurate pipetting Check pipettes Improper standards dilution Prior to opening, briefly spin the stock standard tube and dissolve the powder thoroughly by gentle mixing Incubation times too brief Ensure sufficient incubation times; change to overnight standard/sample incubation Inadequate reagent volumes or improper dilution Check pipettes and ensure correct preparation Starting sample concentration is too high. Dilute the specimens and repeat the assay Plate is insufficiently washed Review manual for proper wash technique. If using a plate washer, check all ports for obstructions Contaminated wash buffer Prepare fresh wash buffer Improper storage of the kit Store the all components as directed. Large CV Low sensitivity Discover more at www.abcam.com 24 RESOURCES 20. NOTES Discover more at www.abcam.com 25 RESOURCES Discover more at www.abcam.com 26 UK, EU and ROW Email: technical@abcam.com | Tel: +44-(0)1223-696000 Austria Email: wissenschaftlicherdienst@abcam.com | Tel: 019-288-259 France Email: supportscientifique@abcam.com | Tel: 01-46-94-62-96 Germany Email: wissenschaftlicherdienst@abcam.com | Tel: 030-896-779-154 Spain Email: soportecientifico@abcam.com | Tel: 911-146-554 Switzerland Email: technical@abcam.com Tel (Deutsch): 0435-016-424 | Tel (Français): 0615-000-530 US and Latin America Email: us.technical@abcam.com | Tel: 888-77-ABCAM (22226) Canada Email: ca.technical@abcam.com | Tel: 877-749-8807 China and Asia Pacific Email: hk.technical@abcam.com | Tel: 108008523689 (中國聯通) Japan Email: technical@abcam.co.jp | Tel: +81-(0)3-6231-0940 www.abcam.com | www.abcam.cn | www.abcam.co.jp Copyright © 2014 Abcam, All Rights Reserved. The Abcam logo is a registered trademark. All information / detail is correct at time of going to print. RESOURCES 27